Indicator.



PATENTBD FEB. 6, 1906.

P. S. B UGKMINSTER.

INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Mum. 190s.

FFIOE.

PRESCOTT S. BUCKMINSTER, OF I-IAYWARDS, CALIFORNIA.

INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1906.

Application filed March 27, 1905. Serial No. 252,266.

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Pnnsoo'rr S. BUoK- MINSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Haywards, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The present invention relates to that class of indicators designed for use in connection with offices generally, the purpose thereof being to denote whether the occupant of the ofiice is in or out of the same and,if out, at what hour return may be expected, the object of the invention being not only to designate the time of the day when the occupant of the 0ffice is to return, but likewise the day of the week, in case the party desired may be out of town.

To this end the indicator comprises a suitable casing provided with a slotted coverplate, there being arranged within the casing beneath the cover-plate a rotatable day-indicator disk and a rotatable hour-indicator disk, between which is arranged a plate for indicating the quarter-hours.

To comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein Figure l is a plan view of the indicator with the parts so arranged as to designate the day of the week and hour of the day when. the occupant of the office is to return. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional side view in elevation, taken on the line as 90, Fig. 1, of the drawings. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the rotatable disk for designating the days of the week, the plate for designating the quarter-hours being illustrated superimposed thereon. Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the features disclosed by Fig. 3 of the drawings. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the indicator with its outer casing and the rotatable disk for designating the days of the week removed, the faceplate being partly broken away. Fig. 6 is a side view in elevation of the features disclosed by Fig. 5 of the drawings; and Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the outer casing, the rotatable disk and its face-plate being removed therefrom.

In the drawings the numeral 1 is used to indicate any suitable outer casing, which, preferably, is circular in form. In this casing is fitted a rotatable disk 2, which disk has printed or painted on its periphery the days of the week. This disk, hereinafter referred to as a day-disk, is secured to a spindle 3, the outer end of which projects through and beyond the face-plate 4 and is provided with a knob 5, so as to enable the same to be readily turned in order to rotate the disk 2. On the spindle 3 is loosely mounted the plate 6, said plate having placed thereon near one edge figures indicative of the quarter-hour. This plate shall hereinafter be referred to as a quarter-hour plate. The quarter-hour plate 6 is covered by the rotatable disk 7,which disk is secured to a thinible or sleeve 8, loosely fitted upon the spindle 3,, and said disk has on its periphery numerals indicative of the hour of the day, said numerals ranging from 1 to 12. For convenience this disk shall hereinafter be referred to as an hourdisk. The projecting end of the thimble or sleeve 8 terminates in an enlarged head or knob 9, by means of which the same may be readily turned.

The described movable parts are held in position within the casing by means of the inclosing face-plate 41-, said face-plate being suitably held to the inclosing or outer casing 1 The rotatable day-disk is somewhat greater in diameter than the rotatable hour-disk, so that the peripheral portion of the day-disk containing the names of the days of the week will not be obstructed by the hour-disk.

Near the lower edge of the face-plate 4 is out the slot or sight-opening 12, through which the names of the days of the week are exposed when the day-disk is so turned as to place the name of the desired day beneath the said opening 12. In the face-plate 4, near one of its side edges, there is formed a second slot or sight opening 13, through which opening the numerals indicative of the hour and minutes are exposed to view when the disk 7 and the plate 6 are moved to place the numbers, respectively, beneath the said opening 13. On the upper surface of the face-plate 4 are placed the words Out, Until, In and the letters A. M. and P. M., the latter standing for forenoon and afternoon. These letters and words are so arranged. that they may be wholly or partially covered by the slide cover-plate 1 1, which plate is mounted to swing on the thiinble or sleeve 8, the said plate being so shaped. that the word. Out may be covered and the word In exposed to view, or vice versa, or both of these words may be covered at the same time. This cover-plate is held in position by means of the coiled spring 14, which spring surrounds the sleeve or thimble 8 and bears against the upper face of the coverplate 14. The pressure of this spring 14 is sufficient to hold the said unbalanced coverplate 14 against displacement and maintain the same in set position.

To the faceplate 4 are secured the holdingbrackets 15, which project above the upper edge of the indicator and are designed to hold cards or communications which may be placed therein.

The quarter-hour plate 6 is formed with an outwardly-extending finger-piece 16, which projects through the slot 17, formed through the circular wall of the casing, Figs. 1 and 7 of the drawings.

Suppose the occupant of the office to be out of the city and the hour of the day for his return is known, then the parts may be so adjusted to designate the same. For instance,

' such a disclosure is made in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, the parts being so arranged as to give the reading Out Until Friday, 4.80 P. M. It is obvious that any desired notice may be given by simply rearranging the position of the several parts.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be protected by Letters Patent, is

In an indicator for the described purpose, the combination with an outer casing, of a day-disk rotatably held therein, a spindle to which the disk is secured, a quarter-hour plate superimposed on the day-disk and loosely mounted upon the spindle, an hourdisk rotatably held within the casing above the quarter-hour plate, a sleeve projecting from the hour-disk loosely fitting the spindle of the day-disk, a face-plate fitted to the casing and having on the face thereof lettering indicative of the information to be given, said face-plate having sight-openings therein for exposing to view the printed matter of the rotatable disks and quarter-hour plate, a spring-held swinging cover-plate movable on the faceplate, and a finger-piece extending from the quarter-hour plate through a slotted portion of the casings circular wall.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of witnesses.

PRESCOTT S. BUCKMINSTER.

In presence of CHARLES PRowsE, M. C. PETERSEN. 

